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The American Montessori Society (AMS) respects the privacy of its members and other visitors to its website. AMS strongly believes that if online business activities and services to members and customers are to flourish, users of our website and other consumers must be assured that information provided online is used responsibly and appropriately. To protect online privacy, AMS has implemented the following policy.

What Information Does AMS Collect?

Most data AMS collects are used only to help us better serve our members. It is our general policy to collect and store only personal information that our members and visitors knowingly provide. If our privacy policies change, we will notify all users by e-mail or a special announcement, prominently placed on the website.

From General Users

AMS does not collect any personal information from users browsing its website. Only aggregate data—such as the number of hits per page—are collected. Aggregate data are only used for internal and marketing purposes and do not provide any personally identifying information.

From AMS Members, Conference Registrants, and Other Customers

To gain access to members-only resources and personalization features on amshq.org, members and other users may be asked to register and provide some limited information. This information is submitted voluntarily.

AMS may ask users to provide their name, ID number (for members and returning customers), organization name, business phone, and e-mail address.

Similar information may be submitted to AMS through membership applications, conference or seminar registration, publication orders, subscriptions, and other member or business transactions.

Additionally, for some e-mails sent in HTML format by AMS to its members, we will collect specific information regarding what the recipient does with that e-mail. For those e-mails, AMS will monitor whether a recipient subsequently clicks through to links provided in the message.

Other information collected through this tracking feature includes: e-mail address of a user, the date and time of the user’s "click," a message number, name of the list from which the message was sent, tracking URL number and destination page. AMS only uses this information to enhance its products and distribution of those products to its members. This information is not sold or distributed in any other manner.

Cookies and Web Beacons

In order to help enhance the performance and functionality of the Site, we utilize session, persistent and third-party “cookies” that store a small piece of data on a users’ computers and collect certain information about the users’ visit to our Site. We also use cookies to understand users’ browsing and buying activities so that we can measure the success of online advertising campaigns we run on the Site. Our Site also uses web beacons (either directly or from our partners), along with cookies, to determine if a user has visited a particular website. These beacons aid in providing more relevant advertising to the user, as well measuring the success of an advertising campaign, but provide no personally identifiable information.

Cookies are small text files that web servers typically send to users’ computer when they visit a website. Cookies are stored as text files on users’ hard drive, and can be accessed by web servers when the user visits a website or views an advertisement. A session cookie is a cookie that stores information as a user is using the Site but is deleted once the browser session is finished. A persistent cookie is a cookie that stores information as a user utilizes the Site and stores and uses that information in connection with future visits of the user to the Site. Third-party cookies and/or web beacons are cookies or web beacons provided by our technology and/or advertising partners. Any third-party cookie or web beacon that we authorize for use on the Site only collects that information described below for the same stated purposes as if we were directly collecting the information. For a third-party cookie or web beacon, the third-party will have access to the collected information in order to provide us with information or services to enhance the performance and functionality of the Site.

The cookies and web beacons we use collect non-personally identifiable information about users of the Site, including: browser used to access the site, date and time, the URL of the page being loaded, users who have visited a particular website(s), any previously assigned cookie identification (a unique identifier assigned to a user to identify repeat visitors), browser window size, the geographic location of the user, device and operating system used to access the Site. The information we collect from these cookies and web beacons is used to determine information about a user’s visit to our Site, including the number of visits, average time spent, pages viewed, navigation history through the website, and other statistics. This information is used to enhance the users experience while visiting our Site and to improve the performance of our Site by, among other things, allowing us to monitor Site performance, making the Site easier to use, measuring the effectiveness of promotional placements, and tailoring the Site (including the ads and offers a user receives) to better match a user’s interests and preferences.

Users who prefer not to accept cookies can set their Internet browser to notify them when they receive a cookie or to prevent cookies from being placed on their hard drive. If you consent to our collection of cookies and you subsequently wish to withdraw your consent, you will need to manage the settings on your web browser to delete all cookies and disallow further acceptance of cookies. Please note that disabling cookies on your browser will prevent us from tracking your activities in relations to our Site, however, it may also disable some of the functions and features of the Site and the Site may not work properly.

By continuing to use our Site, you are agreeing to our placing cookies and/or web beacons on your computer in order to analyze the way you use our Site. Please read this cookie policy carefully for more details about the information we collect when you use the Site.

If you do not wish to accept cookies or web beacons in connection with your use of this Site, please discontinue use of the Site.

How Does AMS Use Data Collected?

AMS uses information voluntarily submitted by members and other customers in the following ways:

AMS Member Services and Products

Generally, AMS uses data collected to improve its own web content; to respond to visitors’ interests, needs, and preferences; and to develop new products and services.

Disclosures to Third Parties

AMS also makes organizational member contact information available to website visitors through its online school and teacher education program directories.

On occasion, e-mail addresses and other contact information may be shared with third parties for the express purpose of providing services and products that AMS deems advantageous to its members. In such an instance, a provider is given short-term access to the information for the specific approved use, and is not entitled to add the contact information to the organization’s general marketing database. In addition, the provider is asked to comply with Federal regulations requiring an “opt-out” feature on commercial bulk emails.

Credit Card Account Information

Except as required to process a payment transaction, AMS does not store or disclose credit card account information provided by its members and customers. When members and customers choose to pay using their credit cards, AMS submits the information needed to obtain payment to the appropriate clearinghouse via an encrypted connection. The complete credit card number is never saved on any server hosting AMS webpages or the AMS member or financial databases.

How Does AMS Use "Cookies?"

Cookies are files that contain information created by a web server that can be stored on a user’s hard disk for use either during a particular session (“per-session” cookie) or for future use (“persistent” cookie). AMS uses cookies only to facilitate automated activity, store and track passwords, determine appropriate solicitations, and review navigation patterns.

Cookies are not used to disseminate significant information about users over the internet or to analyze any information that users have knowingly or unknowingly provided.

When a user registers, the system will ask whether the user approves of the attachment of a cookie. Users may instruct their Internet browsers to opt out of accepting a “persistent” cookie and rather accept only a “per-session” cookie, but will need to log in each time they visit the site to enjoy the full benefits. If the user declines the attachment of any cookie, the user may not have access to the full benefits of the website. Registration enables the site to better determine members’ interest areas and provide the most relevant information.

What Privacy Issues Arise with Links to Other Sites?

This website contains links to other websites. AMS has no control over and is not responsible for the privacy policies or content of such sites.

What Means of Redress Are Available?

If any user suspects AMS has handled his or her personal information in a manner that does not comply with this privacy statement, please contact us by e-mailing to support@amshq.org or by calling 212-358-1250.

Where Can One Get More Information?

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, you can contact us at support@amshq.org. All information you provide in any written communication will also be covered by this policy.